Electrical receptacle



Dec. 4 1923. v 1,476,036

' R. B. BENJAMIN ELECTRICAL RECEPTACLE Fi1ed June 7, 1919 MW 5 INKENTOI? '76 BY 7 Patented Dec. 4,1923.

uurreo STATES.

V 1,476,036 PATENT OFFICE..-

RE'UBWB. BENJAMIN, OF CHICAGO, W015, ASSIGNOR '1'O BENJAMIN ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

Application m June 7,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, REUBEN B; BENJAMIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Electrical Receptacles, .of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, iormlng a part of this specification. 4

The present 'nvention relates to electrical receptacles of the class commonly called hand ortables; In such device an electric lamp is located in a receptacle which maybe readily carried about by hand to the limit fixed by the length of the conductors which are connected to it. The principal object of the invention'is to produce a deviceof this class which shall have all its parts compactly arranged while maintaining a durable structure which is proof against water, weather and chemical fumes and gases.

The various features of the invention will be more fully understood upon referring to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying-drawing, while the scope of the invention will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In said drawing- Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a device constructed in accordance with thepresent invention; p

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a portion of one end of the device with the lamp, globe and guard removed;.

Fig. 3 is a section on an enlarged scale through a portion of the shell contact, the associated washers and a portion of: the body of the device, the plane of section being indicated by the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken through the handle of the device and showing particularly the under side of the insulating base located in the handle, the plane of section beiglig indicated by the line 4-4 of Fig. 1; an

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the wiring terminals removed from the base.

Throughout these views like characters refer to like parts.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the body of the device 10 is composed of any suitable metal and is shaped so as to provide a hollow handle 11 and an enlarged portion 12 which is provided at its outer 26 and 27 I .23 and 22- into engagement with tapped 1919. Seriallio. $02,408.

periphery with a flange 13. The latter is threaded on its inner face to receive the threads on the lower end of the glass globe 14. A washer of rubber or other suitable water-proof material is located between the end of the globe 14 and a face or shoulder on the portion 12. The outer surface of the flange 13 is provided with a thread upon which a threaded ring 15 may be screwed. The ring 15 together with the guard wires 16 and 17, and the reinforcing rin 18 constitutes a-guard for the globe 14. he wires 16 and 17 extend into openings in the ring 15 to which they are secured by solder or in any other suitable way. These wires conform in shape to the shape of the globe 14 and extend through openings in the ring 18. Where the wires 16 and 17 cross they may be soldered or otherwise secured together if desired. A portion of a book 19, is shown at the outer end of the guard and this hook is commonly used to hang the device upon a support. The'guard and the globe are old and in themselves form no part of the present invention. The interior of the handle 11 is circular in cross section and arranged to receive an insulating tube 20 which rests at its lower end a ainst a flange 21' formed on the inner face 0 the wall of the handle. The upper end of the tube 20 extends to the plane of the face formed on the upper side of the portion 12 of the body. A washer 22 rests upon this face and joins the upper end of the tube 20. A cooperating washer 23 is located above the washer 22. Both of these washers are of insulating material and serve.

' of the tube 20. The flange 24 is secured between the'washers 22 and 23b means of a number of eyelets 25 exten ing through registering openings in the washers. Screws extend down through thewashers openings inthe portion 12 of the body 10 to hold the washers and shell contact in position on the body 10. These eyelets and washers serve to clamp the edges 24 of the shell contact 25 and thus securely hold it in place in the structure.

The lower end of the shell 25 is provided with an end 28 which is cut away on one side as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2. A base 29 of insulating material is secured to the end 28 of the shell contact 25. In the present instance, screws 30 and 31 extend upward through the base 29 into threaded engagement with the pieces 32 and 33 located on the upper side of the end 28 of the shell contact. These pieces 32 and 33 serve as nuts in the holding of the parts together. The central portion of the base 29 is provided with a projection 34 upon which the center contact 35 is adapted to rest when the lamp 36 is in place. The. center contact 35 is secured at its fixed end by a screw] 37 which passes through an opening in the contact 35 and into threaded engagement with an opening in a flange of the wiring terminal 38 located on the'under side of the base 29. In this way the center contact 35 is electrically connected to the terminal 38. A screw 39 in like manner passes through an 0 ening in the end 28 of the shell contact own through the base 29 into threaded engagement with an opening in-the flange of the wiring terminal 40. The screw 39 not only secures the terminal in position upon the base but also electrically connects the shell contact with the terminal. The binding screw 41 and a flange 42 on the terminal 38 cooperate in securing one of the conductors which lead to the device. A similar screw 43 and flange 44 on terminal 40 perform a like function in securing the other conductor of the circuit. These conductors pass through an opening in the end of the handle which is just large enough to freely pass the conductors with their surrounding insulation. When the' conductors are passed through in this way and the connections have been made with the terminals, the ring 45 of rubber or other yielding water-proof material is forced inward by screwing the cap 46 upon the reduced threaded end of the bandle 11. The engaging faces of the ring 45 are inclined and cooperate with similarly inclined engagin faces on the end of the handle and on t e cap 46 and in this way the screwing down of the cap forces the rin 45 inward against the insulation of the con uctors passing through the opening.

An extension 47' on the under side of the base 29 serves as a baflle between the bared ends of the conductors. This bafile prevents the accidental contact of the conductors and their consequent short circuiting. At the,

same point the insulating tube 20 prevents the bared wires from coming into engage-' ment with the'interio dle 11.

In assembling the the upper end of the shell contact 251s provided with two upwardly extending lugs 48 and 49 which are located between the flanged portions 24. These upward extending lugs 48 and 49 fit of the metal hanaeraoee f means the shell contact and the parts connected with it areiven a definite position in the body of the evice and are prevented from rotation which might otherwise occur in case the screws 26 and 27 should, for any reason, become loose.

From this description it will be seen that I have provided a portable fixture which is very compact and which is of minimum length by reason of the location of the shell contact within the handle of the device. The arrangement of the parts is such that this compactness is attained without in any way reducing the electrical efliciency of the fixture. All the current carrying parts are properly and sufficiently insulated and yet all the parts are mechanically connected in such a way as toprovide a durable and ri id device.

aving thus described my invention,

what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

linin of insulating sheet material fittin in said handle, a threaded shell contact fittlng in said lining and having a flange extending outwardly-from its outer edge over the outer edge of said lining, means for engaging the outer face of said flange for holding said threaded shell contact'in position, an insulating base carried by said threaded shell contact and a wiring terminal for said threade shell contact supported by said insulating base.

2. In a portable electric fixture, a body having a hollow handle and a face extending outward from one end of said handle, an insulating tube in said handle terminating at said face, an insulating washer bearing on said face, a shell contact poisitione'd in said tube and having a flange portion resting on said washer, a second washer resting on said flanged portions, and securing members passing throu h said washers and extending into said body to hold said washers and shell contact in place. I

3. In a portable electric fixture, a body having a hollow handle and a face extending outwardly from one end of said handle, an insulating tube in said handleterminating at said face, an insulating washer bearing on said face, a shell contact positioned in said tube and having a flange portion resting on said washer, a second washer resting on said flanged portions,

and screws passing through said washers 1 a portion of said body and terminating at its outer end in the plane of said face, a shell contact fitting against the wall of said tube and having a flange portion exfrom said face;

tending over said face, clamping means for engaging said flange portion to secure said shell to said body, an insulating base secured to the inner end of said shell contact,

and a center contact and. wiring terminals carried bysaid base. a

5. A portable electric fixture comprising a body having a hollowhandle, a face extending outward from said handle, and a globe receiving flange extending upward a globe secured to said flange; a guard fo'rsaid globe secured to said flange; an insulating tube extendin into the'interior of said -handle from said face; a shell contact fitted into the outer end of said tube; means cooperating with said face to secure said shell contact to said body; an insulatin base secured to the inner end of said shel contactya center contact on the upper side of said base; terminals for said contacts on the lower side of said base; and means for securely holding conduct'orspassing through the opening in the end of said'handle to said terminals.

6. A hand portable lamp receptacle com- I v prising a hollow handle having a grip p01:

tion and an annular flange extending "out- 85 wardly from said grip portion, a lamp ard mounted on said annular flange, an insulating base, a shell contact, and a wiring termmal, said base, contact and terminal being mounted in said hollow handle, said shell contact and wiring terminal both being mounted on said base, the grip portion of said handle surrounding said insulating base, and the shell contact, said insulating base being of substantially the same diameter as said threaded shell contact and in alignment therewith.

7 A hand portable lamp receptacle comprising a hollow handle havingla grip portion, and an annular flange extending from said grip portion, a lamp guard mounted onsa d annular flange, an insulating base,

a shell contact, a wiring terminal, said base,

contact and terminal being mounted in said hollow handle, said shell contact a'ndwiring terminal being mounted on said insulating base, said insulating base being of substantially the same diameter as'said shell contact and in alignment therewith, "a tubular sleeve of insulating sheet material surrounding said insulating base and threaded shell contact the gri portion of said handle surrounding sai insulating ase.

'In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name. a

REUBEN B. BENJAMIN. 

